Burglar sorry he didn't take the jewelry

Apr. 29—An Indianapolis man sentenced to nine years in prison Tuesday regretted that he didn't take anything from the Whitestown home he broke into.

David A. Farmer II, 57, pried open the door to another man's townhouse in June 2022 and went inside. But the security system sounded and he left empty-handed because he feared capture. He escaped, but video doorbell footage led to his eventual arrest.

Plainfield Police soon recognized the Indianapolis man on the video as a suspect in multiple burglaries in their area and called Farmer in for questioning. Whitestown Police went too, and Farmer admitted to the Whitestown burglary, according to a probable cause affidavit.

"To be honest with you," Farmer reportedly told police. "I've been kicking myself in the head about this one. Why didn't I just go straight to the bedroom and take the jewelry? I know you only have like two to three minutes, so I should have just took the jewelry and left."

Farmer pleaded guilty to burglary and was sentenced to nine years of straight time to be served in prison with the Indiana Department of Correction. But that sentence doesn't start until he finishes a sentence he received in March in Hendricks County.

Farmer was convicted there of four counts of burglary and being a habitual offender and sentenced to 20 years straight time in prison.

Three other felony cases The Lebanon Reporter has followed also concluded in the first quarter of 2024.

Christopher LaGrange

Christopher LaGrange of Zionsville was sentenced to eight years with the Indiana Department of Correction after pleading guilty to two counts of possession of child pornography.

A neighbor claimed in late 2020 that he found a "treasure chest of child pornography" on LaGrange's computer, according to a probable cause affidavit. LaGrange's computer was in the man's garage during the COVID-19 pandemic because the neighbor had faster internet access for gaming, according to the affidavit.

The power went out when LaGrange was gone, and the neighbor tried to repair LaGrange's computer when the power resumed. But he saw videos and photos of prepubescent children engaged in sex with adults and called police to collect LaGrange's computer from his garage, Boone County Sheriff's Detective Jack Callahan reported.

LaGrange claimed he downloaded child pornography to research and report to the FBI and that he'd given the FBI 12 tips, but his claim didn't pan out, police said.

LaGrange will serve the first three years in prison, the next with Boone County Community Corrections, and the remaining years on supervised probation.

Four counts of the same charge were dismissed in exchange for his plea.

Dejon Parrish

Dejon Parrish, 19, pleaded guilty to voyeurism after recording himself having sex with a minor in April 2023 in Zionsville.

The teen said she had consensual sex with Parrish, 18 at the time, but denied him permission to record their encounter, Zionsville Police Detective Thomas Beard wrote in the affidavit.

Although the age of consent in Indiana is 16, an adult can be charged with child exploitation if their partner is younger than 18 and pornography is involved.

The teen said she and Parrish, of Whitestown, watched a horror film and engaged in sex that he filmed with his camera and she notified authorities after attempting to delete the video from his phone, according to the affidavit.

Boone Superior Court I Judge Matthew Kincaid sentenced Parrish in March to two years with the Indiana Department of Correction. He suspended one year of the sentence and ordered the other year be served on supervised probation. Kincaid dismissed charges of child exploitation and possession of child pornography as part of the plea agreement.

Michael Bradbury

Michael Bradbury, 51, of Lafayette, a lifetime registered sex offender, picked up a child from a Lebanon elementary school in May of 2023.

He'd recently been released from an Indiana state prison on a conviction of sexual misconduct with a minor in Carol County.

Bradbury identified himself to school authorities and provided his driver's license, but when the secretary scanned his license, she received an alert that he was an offender of some sort, according to the affidavit. Officials let the child go with Bradbury because the mother had approved it and to avoid a scene or altercation in the front office, police reported.

But Lebanon Schools Police Officer Joel Smith found that Bradbury pleaded guilty to sexual misconduct with a minor in 2010 in Carroll County and that he is required to register as a lifetime sex offender, Smith wrote in the affidavit.

Boone Superior Court II Judge Bruce Petit in January dismissed the single charge of unlawful entry by a serious sex offender filed against Bradbury without prejudice. The without prejudice designation means the matter may still be heard in court at a later date.